Loading device



' Dec. 15 1925-- P. V. COLIANNI LOADING DEVICE File March a, 192:5

PczaZ J Coiz'annrj Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

PAUL V. COLIANNI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MELVIN B.

BENSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOADING DEVICE.

Application filed March 8, 1923. Serial No. 623,691.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL V. COLIANNI, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading Devices, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to conveyors or loading devices, and has reference more particularly to means for loading refuse, such as ashes, cinders, and the like, into cars or other conveyance receptacles. The removal of ashes and cinders from large power plants, and from railroad cinder pits, is a difiicult problem. It is common practice, in large power plants, to provide a track on which ash or cinder cars are run for removing the ashes and cinders a short distance from the plant. In removing ashes from locomotives it is the practice to run the engine above the pit and drop the ashes from the engine'directly into the pit. In either event the ashes are afterward loaded into cars for removal. to a distance. The loading is usually done by hand, and is a slow, costly and laborious operation.

One of the principal objects of my invention is the provision of a loading device that will load ashes, cinders, and other material economically and expeditiously.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means which may be positioned from the conveyance that is being loaded, and that may be left in convenient position to be manipulated into loading position by the attendant on a succeeding conveyance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of cheap and eflicient means for agitating the refuse, such as cinders, ashes, and the like, whereby thesame may be loaded into the conveyance or other receptacle efiiciently and expeditiously.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device, showing a portion of the car that is being loaded;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections on line 4.4, 55 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views with parts broken away.

Referring to; the drawings, the reference character 10 designates tracks on which the the locomotive may be run or on which ash or cinder cars may be run for removing the ashes, cinders, and the like, a short distance from the plant; 11, the car into which the dumped ashes or cinders from the pit 12 are placed for removal to a distance, and 14 the conveyor or loading device for loading the dumped ashes or cinders into the car.

The conveyor 14 is mounted on a platform 15, which in turn may be supported on two wheels 16, arranged beneath said platform. This arrangement will permit tilting of the platform and conveyor for a purpose that will presently appear.

The framework of the conveyor cornprises the two side frames 17 and. 18. Each side frame may be of any suitable construction; that shown includes parallel bars 19, joined at their ends by the curved members 20. The side frames may be constructed of any suitable material. In the form chosen for illustrating one embodiment of the invention, the sideframes are composed of tubular members secured together in any suitable manner, as by union joints or by welding. Suitable bracing members 21 hold the side frames in position in vertical planes parallel with each other. Rigidly attached to the upper and lower ends of the side frames, as by welding, are the plates 22 and 28. The plate 22 at the upper end of each side frame is provided with a bearing 24, in which the'shaft 25 is journaled. Sprocket wheels 25 are secured to said shaft. A. suitable handle 26 is secured to and extends above the conveyor to afford means whereby the loading device may be properly positioned by the attendant from the car that is being, or about to be, loaded. The two wheel supports facilitate this positioning operation.

The lower plates 23 are provided with the bearings 27, in which the shaft 28 is journaled. The inner ends of the bearings are III j ournaled in brackets 28, rigidly secured to the platform 15. By this latter arrangement the conveyor 1% may be adjusted angularly relatively to the platform 15. The conveyor may be held in adjusted position by suitable braces 29, pivotally secured to the platform and slidably engaging openings through swivelly mounted brackets 29, carried by the side frames 19 and held in adjusted position by set-screws 29 Rigidly mounted on the shaft 2% is the large drive sprocket 30, which is operated by the chain belt 31 from the motor 32, located on the platform 15. Suitable sprockets 33 are mounted on the shaft 28 for operating the conveyor belt, as will presently appear.

A suitable conveyor extension 1% is pivotally connected to the lower end of the conveyor 14:. The extension conveyor may be constructed similar to the conveyor 14, having the side frames 34, and having secured to the upper and lower ends thereof the side plates 35 and 36, respectively. The upper side plates 35 are rotatably mounted on the journals 27 downwardly of the plates 23. Apertures 37, extending through the plates 23, are adapted to register with corresponding apertures in each of the plates 35, within which pins 38 may engage to rigidly hold the extension conveyor in adjusted position relatively to the conveyor 14.

The lower end of the extension is also provided with sprocket wheels, similar to the sprockets 33 on the shaft 28. Endless conveyor belts, such as the sprocket chains 39 and 40, are adapted to extend about the lower end of the extension 14-, and the upper end of the conveyor 14:, and engage the sprocket wheels on the shafts 25, 28 and 32. The belts carry the usual buckets or scoops 4-2 for loading the material. The chains are operated by the sprocket wheel 30 (see Fig. Idlers 48 are adapted to engage the upper run of the belts or chains 39, to hold the same in engagement with the driving sprocket 33. Other idlers li-E are employed for supporting the upper runs of the conveyor belts 39, d0, while similar idlers 43 support the lower runs of said belts.

Suitable means are provided for agitat ing the material and moving the same to a position where it may be accessible to be scooped up by the buckets 42. In the device chosen to embody this idea a reciprocating shaft or rod 4% is provided at each side of the conveyor extension 145 These rods are pivoted to the crank members 45, rigidly secured to the shaft 28, as shown in Fig. 3. The crank members are arranged at an angle of 180 degrees apart, whereby the material will be continually drawn toward the loader first by one rod and then by the other. The rods 44 are guided by sleeves 46, through which they freely slide.

for an intermediate portion of each rod,

whereby the cranks 45 wi l. or use an oscil lating, and at the same time a vibrating, movement of said rods. In operation the outer end of the rod is elevated and moved outwardly during the first half of the rotation of the shaft, and lowered and mover inwardly during the other half. This arrangement, working somewhat like a hoe, operates very efficiently to supply material to the conveyor scoops or buckets. The outer ends of the rods may be offset inwardly, as at 44, to bring'the plates e8 in front of the scoops or buckets 42.

The outer ends of the rods l imay have foot or feet pivoted thereto. Preferably there is a foot or scoop plate l8 (see 7) for each rod. The plate is tapered at its pivoted end, whereby the same may be forced more easily into the material. The plate is so pivoted that it may fold inwardly toward the rod ad, but is limited by the shoulder 49 from moving beyond a predetermined angle relative to the rod a4, whereby as the rod is moved outwardly by the crank 45 the plate and outer end of the rod will readily enter the material, and when the rod is moved inwardly the plate will expand and draw the material toward the conveyor.

In the operation of the device, an attendant on the ear ll may grasp the handle 26 and move device into the desired loading position. Unless the pin 3 ployed to rigidly connect the exte the conveyor, the device in a state of unstable equilibrium, and the parts may be so adjusted that the attendant may more the conveyor to the )OSltlOD where it rests against the car 11 during the loading operation. After the car is loaded the attendant may move the top of the conveyor outwardly a sutlieient distance to bring the center of gravitiy within the base, where it will remain during changing of cars. This arrangement permits a flexible movement of the extension 14 and has ,certain advantages, especially where the supply of material is low, because it permits the truck to be moved to and from the material to a certain extent during the loading operation. By rigidly connecting the extension to the conveyor by the pin 38, the device is in a state of stable equilibrium and will remain wherever placed or positioned, a shown in Fig. 1. In any event the device may be pollC llt

sitioned by the attendant on the car 11 by means of the handle 26 at the upper end of the conveyor, and maybe moved about during the process of loading without stopping the operation of the conveyor.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described,"a conveyor, an extension conveyor, a shaft for pivotally connecting said extension conveyor to said conveyor, said extension conveyor being adapted to be moved to various angular positions relatively to said conveyor, reciprocating agitating means associated with said extension conveyor, means on said shaft for operating said agitating means, and means for supporting said conveyors in operative position.

2. In a loading device, a movable support comprising two wheels, a conveyor mounted on said support and extending upwardly and laterally therefrom, means for adjusting said conveyor angularly relative to said support, an extension pivotally connected to said conveyor, a power unit on said support for operating said conveyor, means for angularly adjusting said extension relatively to said conveyor, and a handle at the upper end of said conveyor for moving the same.

3. In a device of the class described, a two-wheeled truck including a platform, a conveyorpivotally mounted on said platform to swing in a plane at right angles to the axis of said wheels, an extension econveyor pivotally connected to the lower end of said first-named conveyor, means for adjusting the angular position of said conveyor relatively to said platform," a motor carried by said platform, for operating said conveyor, and an agitating member associated with said extension conveyor.

4;. In a device of the class described, a support, a conveyor mounted thereon, said conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and a revoluble shaft for operating the same, a crank on said shaft, an agitating element operated by said crank, and an extension conveyor pivoted on said shaft and movable relatively to said first-named conveyor.

5. In a device of the class described a conveyor, an agitator, means associated with said conveyor for operating said agitator, said agitator including a shaftand a foot pivoted thereto to fold into proximity to said shaft, and with its outer end in sub stantial alignment therewith when the shaft is moved outwardly, and to open at an angle to said shaft when the same is moved inwardly, said foot tapering toward its outer end whereby the same may be readily inserted in the material to be loaded and draw portions of said material toward said conveyor.

6. .In a device of the class described, a pair of wheels, a support carried by said wheels, a conveyor pivoted thereto, a motor forv operating said conveyor, means for angularly adjusting said conveyor on said support, a conveyor extension pivoted to the lower end of said conveyor, and a reciproeating agitating element extending beyond said extension and provided with an expanding foot for supplying loading material to said extension conveyor, said element being operated by said motor.

7 In a loading device, a pair of wheels, a support mounted thereon, a conveyor pivotally mounted at its lower end on said support, means engaging said support and conveyor for holding the latter in adjusted position relative to the former, an extension conveyor, means movable with said extension conveyor for supplying loading material to said conveyor, said means including a rod, a foot or scoop plate secured to the outer portion of said rod, and means for moving said plate upwardly and outwardly into contact with material to be loaded and for moving said plate downwardly and inwardly to supply said material to said conveyor.

8. In combination, a pair of wheels, a support mounted thereon, a conveyor adjustably mounted on said support, an extension conveyor movable relatively to said conveyor, an agitating member and guiding means on said extension conveyor for said agitating means whereby said agitating means is movable with said extension conveyor.

PAUL V. COLIANNI. 

